MySociety denies role in Blears sacking

Politico website MySociety has denied any role in a chain of events which reportedly led to the sacking of a civil servant for criticising boat rocking ex-Cabinet Minister Hazel Blears.

This morning we reported on the apparent sacking of civil servant Lisa Greenwood for posting comments to TheyWorkForYou.com which were rude about ex-Communities minister Blears.

Greenwood reportedly posted comments describing Blears as a disgrace on the political engagement site. The comments were traced to her work email address and she was sacked. But MySociety - the organisation behind TheyWorkForYou - believes that no such comments have ever been posted on any of their sites.

Matthew Somerville of MySociety, said: "There is no comment on TheyWorkForYou containing the text quoted in that article, nor anything like it, nor has there ever been. Nor in fact (as I've checked), on HearFromYourMP, WriteToThem, or WhatDoTheyKnow. Only one comment has been left on any contribution by Hazel Blears in 2009, and it's definitely not related to this.

"27 comments were left on 13th May; I've just read them all and they're all nothing to do with this."

The group insisted it has not been contacted by anyone from the DCSF to help with any investigation into posters on its sites.

This morning's Telegraph story, which we covered here, said Greenwood's comments were traced to her work email address.

We've left messages with the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the public sector unions, we'll get back to you as and when they talk to us.

MySociety also pointed out that TheyWorkForYou is not government funded, but paid for by consultancy work carried out by MySociety. It did receive public sector money for adding historical information, however.